ANGOLA, Ind. – After a pair of tightly contested games, the Trine University softball team has started the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) portion of the season 2-0, sweeping visiting Adrian College. Freshman Debbie Hill led the way to the victories both in the circle and at the plate.
Hill got the start in the circle for the first game and proceeded to enter a pitching duel with Abbi Patton of the Bulldogs. Neither pitch allowed a run through the first six innings of the game. Hill was more overpowering in the circle not allowing a hit until the fourth inning. Patton, on the other hand, allowed plenty of baserunners, with the Thunder recording ten hits and earning two walks, but worked her way out of the jams
With the game still scoreless in the seventh inning, Hill allowed one of the two hits for the Bulldogs in the game. She followed up with a strikeout and then drew a groundball out of the final batter. Sophomore Emma Beyer fielded the sharply hit ball and orchestrated a great exchange with senior Amanda Prather who turned the double play to end the inning.
After the leadoff hitter grounded out, Cassie Woods reached base on a single in the bottom of the seventh. Freshman Karley Trine followed up with a single up the middle moving the runner to third and advancing on the throw. With runners on second and third, Hill came to the plate. Her single down the right field line brought in the lone run of the game and secured the 1-0 win.
It looked like the Thunder would pull away in the second game with the team leading off the contest with three runs. Senior Ellie Trine led off with a double and advanced to third on a single by Woods, who then stole second. Karley Trine brought home the first run of the game with a single to centerfield, then advancing to second on the throw.
Hill then came up big again with a flyout to leftfield that brought home the runner from third. After a collision at home that sent the ball to the backstop, Karley Trine would also score making the score 3-0.
Trine was poised to score more runs when three of the next four batters reached base on the back of a walk, a single and a hit-by-pitch, but the Bulldog pitcher limited the damage with a strikeout ending the inning.
In the bottom half of the inning, senior Anna Koeppl made quick work of the Adrian batters. She would pitch for five innings allowing just one run, unearned, on four hits. She also recorded four strikeouts. The Bulldogs got that one run in the bottom of the third, cutting the deficit to 3-1.
Junior Alexis Michon earned a save in the circle coming in for the bottom of the sixth and securing the final six outs of the contest. She allowed two hits while striking out one on the way to finalizing the 3-1 victory.
Trine improves to 19-3 overall and 2-0 in MIAA play following the sweep. They will continue their season when they travel to face Olivet College on Tuesday, April 11. The doubleheader is scheduled to start at 3 p.m.